Container filling device



Allg- 9, 1949. P. DARABARIS 2,478,251

CO'NTAINER FILLING DEVICE Filed Oct. 1, 1947 BvV Y.

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 9, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to filling devices for filling liquid containers, and aims to provide certain new and useful improvements whereby the utility and efciency of the device is substantially enhanced.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved device of the class mentioned, which is constructed so that the flow of water or liquid will be automatically stopped when the desired level of the liquid is reached, so that the liquid level in a container such as, for example, a storage battery, remains at the predetermined height after the level has been raised to that height.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a visible indicator to indicate to the operator that the liquid is flowing through the device.

The above as well as additional and more detailed objects will become apparent in the following description, wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It ls to be understood that the drawing is intended for the purpose of illustration only, and that it is neither desired nor intended to limit the invention to any or all of the specific details of construction shown, excepting insofar as they may be essential to the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the battery lling device in position for use, applied to the cell of a storage battery, the latter being shown fragmentarily in section.

Fig, 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 1 2--2 oi Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I il indicates a housing of any suitable material such as, for example, hard rubber or plastic,

axial passages, one above the other, indicated at I2 and I3, the former communicating with the bottom of a well I4 formed in the housing IIla, and the latter communicating with the top of an axial bore I 5 extending upward into the housing Ib.

On each side of an imaginary plane passed through the axis of the neck Il and the axis of the housing Illb, that is, the plane of the paper in Fig. 1, a substantially crescent-shaped or nearly semi-annular passage IG is cut down through the housing lil from the base of the neck II to the lower end of the housing. In addition, a semi-annular passage I'I is out down partway through the housing loa, to the left of a vertical plane passed through the axis of the housing lb down into the paper at right angles to the paper, Fig. 2. The two ends of the semiannulus terminate at IBa, Ib, Fig. 2. The lower extremity or base of the passage I'I is shown at I3. A small portion of the upper extremity of the housing I9 is dished out, thereby providing a space I9 between the cover 20 and the floor ZI and providing a flange 22 surrounding this dishedout space. It is thus apparent that, assuming the well I4 to be full of water and that the level therein rises to flow over the floor 2|, the water will then fall down into the passage I'I. The ends of each of the semi-annuli of the passages II are shown in Fig. 2 at Ilia and I6b. It is thus apparent that the passage I1 overlaps both passages I6; hence, the water will flow from the passage I'I down into both passages I6.

The bore I5 is reduced intermediate its height to provide an internal ilange 23. A piston 24 is slidably mounted in the lower end of the bore I5, and is normally urged downward by a coiled spring positioned between the flange 23 and the top of the piston, shown at 24a. The piston has a channel 25 extending downward partway through the top thereof, which channel turns angularly outward at 26 and passes through the side of the piston at 2T.

A vertical slot or groove 28 is provided in one side of the piston 24, in which one end of a pin 2S which is imbedded in the housing Ill, registers, and the upper and lower extremities of this groove serve as limit stops to the longitudinal movement of the piston 24.

A passage 30 is cut, substantially parallel with the passage 25, through the wall of the housing Ill, terminating in a vertical groove 35 extending from the outer end of the passage 30 to the lower extremity of the housing I0. A storage battery is shown fragmentarily at 32, having the cell 33 3 in which the battery plates are shown at 34. A liquid container is shown at 36, and this may be a bulb or any other container; it is provided with a flange 31 by means of which it is adapted to be connected to the free end of the neck II.

The cover 20 has an opening 38 therethrough at an angle, and secured in said opening is the upper end of a perforated tube 39 whose lower end is open. The upper end of the tube 39 is closed by'a transparent `coverzor fclosure 40. A ball float 4l which may be coated with luminous material, is loosely mounted in the tube 93, but, owing to the position of the open end of the tube against `the wall of the well I4, the -ba-ll cannot fall out of the tube. v

Normally, as is apparent, the spring 2M will urge the piston I5 outward to its limit, whence the passages 26 and 3! will become disaligned; this position is not shown in the drawing. When the device is applied to a storage battery, however, by way of example, as shown in Fig. 1, with the tip of the piston in contact with one or more plates y34, and -the device is pressed down or permitted to imove down by its 4own weight, the piston will move into the housing Ii) into the position shown in Fig. 1, with the openings 2% and :30 aligned `and ythereby yproviding an air inlet into the bore `i 5. -Air will `thus vpass into the container 35 through the passage I3, at the Vsame time as water vpasses from the container 35 through the ,passage I2 tinto the well i4. `As previously .described, the water, upon overflowing from the well Iii, will pass ldown through the passages |16, and hence it will leave the housing -I il Aat the bottom and enter the cell 33. Upon rising of the level of water in `the cell to a positionlevel with the top of the mouth `of the passage 38, the air inlet supply will -be shutoff and hence vno .more water will be able to lea-ve the container. Thus `the possibility of passingtoo much water into the -cell is eliminated. When the .device is lifted from the illed cell, Athe Vpiston 2d will again be expelled, thus Aalso preventing -the water still in the housing I0 from passing fout ofthe housing.

As the well I4 fills at lthe beginning ofthe operation `just described, the ball 4I will rise `to vthe top of the tube 39 and `will be visible` through the window eil, indicating that the device is functioning and that water isfiowing properly. It has -been found `by experience that, When the air supply is cut 01T as described, a suction is provided in the -air passage .23, 25, I5, and and -I I., and the Vcontainer 435, which is suiiicient to draw all for a `good part Vof the water remaining inthe .housing IG back into `the container, and thatsome i of thewater then flows back into the well I 4 to 'a depth suiiicient to close the trap-like bottom of the well between the latter and the lower end of the passage lf2.

Obviously, modiiicationsln form andstructure .may be made without departing fromthe .spirit or scope `of theinvention.

I claim:

l. A vessel-filling device adapted to fill to a, predetermined level a vessel Ahaving a support .po-

.4 sitioned below the rim of the vessel and below said level, comprising a housing adapted to be used in upright position, said housing having a neck extending therefrom intermediate the height of the housing, said neck having two spaced 1ongitudinal passages therethrough one above `the other, said housing having a bore extending upward thereinto and communicating at the top with the lower of said neck passages, said housing having a well cut into the top thereof and communicating at the bottom of said well with `the upper of said neck passages, said housing having a substantially semi-annular passage extending down thereinto from the top of said well, spaced openings extending upward into said lfiousing from the bottom and communicating at the top with said vsemi-annular passage, the top of said housing having a flange extending upward therefrom, a cover mounted on said ange and spaced from said top of the housing, a liquid container mounted on the end oi said neck, said bore havingA an internal flange intermediate its length, a-piston slidably mounted in said bore below said last-named flange and having its lower end projecting from said bore, means normally urging said ,pistonoutward from said bore, limit stops to the longitudinal movement of said piston, said piston having a channel extending downward thereinto and turning angularly at its lower end through one side of the piston, said housing having a passage therethrough at its lower end adapted when said piston lies in its extreme upper position to align with said lower end of said piston channel and to be disaligned therefrom when said piston lies in its extreme lower position, said piston upon mounting the device in said vessel with said piston resting on said support and pressing the device downward being raised to its said extreme upper position.

2. The device set forth in claim Li., having visual indicating means actuated lby the rising of liquid in said well to overflow said well.

3. The device set forth in claim 1,. said limit .stops comprising la longitudinal slot in said piston, a pin rigid in said housing and projecting into said slot.

4. The deviceset forth in claim l, said cap having an opening therethrough, a tube extending downward from said opening and having a float loosely mounted therein, the upper end of said tube having a .transparent closure thereon, the lower vend of said tube being open.

PETER DARABARIS..

REFERENCES CITED The following referenices are of record in the leA o'f this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,635,444 Sowell July l2, 1'927 1,815,348 Cox July 21, 1931 1,990,386 Kysor Feb. 5, 1935 2,140,951 Bortz Dec, 20, 1938 

